


met a shrimp in an alley today, ma

by sopdetly



Series: Yahtzee Fills (2020) [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: (aka one use of a slur against the Irish), M/M, Period-Typical Racism, Pre-Slash, alley fighting, early teenage shenanigans, slight AU probably?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23379385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sopdetly/pseuds/sopdetly
Summary: He recognizes the two shits pickin' on a couple kids half their size, but before he can get a swing in, a small, blond, ball of fury comes darting in from the other end of the alley and lands a hell of a wallop on the biggest of the two bullies. Everyone stops and stares.*A fill for the "Brave" prompt in GYWO 2020 Yahtzee.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Yahtzee Fills (2020) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1681537
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27





	met a shrimp in an alley today, ma

The same old street looks different in the stormy weather. It isn't raining yet, but Bucky can smell it, and he wrinkles his nose against the ozone. He's gotta work tonight, and shifting stock from the truck to the loading dock is hard enough when it's verging on winter and he's been stuck in a classroom desk all day. If it rains, it's gonna be a real rough time. He should drop out, his old man's been tellin' him that he won't learn anything after he's fourteen anyway.

There's the sound of fussing ahead, raised voices and scuffling feet, and then the sound of a fist hitting a jaw—Bucky knows the sound well, too well, and he hurries over. He drops his books, not caring about the puddles from the morning's rain, and gets up his dukes, ready to fall in where he's needed.

He recognizes the two shits pickin' on a couple kids half their size, but before he can get a swing in, a small, blond, ball of fury comes darting in from the other end of the alley and lands a hell of a wallop on the biggest of the two bullies. Everyone stops and stares.

"Leave 'em alone!" the kid shouts, only his voice is too deep to be a _kid_ kid, and Bucky realizes that he's just a real short thing. His eyebrows raise up, but he doesn't drop his own fists yet. It's a mistake, because he's the only one ready to go, and so this bit of tumbleweed spins on him. "I told ya, leave the kids alone!"

Fists open and spread to surrendering hands. "I'm not your guy, pal, I was coming in to break it up, too." Bucky holds the small guy's eyes until he nods, and both of them relax and at once, turn to fix their eyes on the two making trouble.

Sensing that they're out of danger, the two sprouts bolt for the street, and now faced with two teens more likely to fight back, the two bullies flip them off, call 'em nosy micks, and head out for the other end, away from the little ones. Bucky watches with amusement as the kid who's already probably half a foot shorter than him (and Bucky is hoping he'll get another few inches to hit six-feet before he's done his growin' pains), shrinks another inch or so as he finally relaxes. Suddenly his jacket fits even more loosely.

"You gotta death wish, kid?" Bucky asks, never one for tact.

"They've been chasing those two all week," the small blond says with a snarl. "The kids ain't even eight!"

"Yeah, but those two dopes are almost fifteen. How old're you, anyway?"

"Thirteen." He doesn't meet Bucky's eyes. "I know I'm a shrimp," he adds in a mumble.

Bucky snorts. "Well I'd rather you be thirteen an' shrimpy than ten like ya look." He kicks a foot out lightly at the guy's ankle. "What's your name then, Shrimp?"

"Steve Rogers," he says, looking up at Bucky with a glare. "And I'll thank ya not to call me Shrimp again."

"Yeah, okay." With a shrug, he offers his hand. "Bucky Barnes. And I'm fourteen, if you were wonderin'."

Steve Rogers shakes Bucky's hand, and gives him a shy grin. "Sorry for snapping at ya. My ma says I gotta temper."

Bucky snorts. "Oh ya don't say? How long've you been chasing those two's ugly mugs?"

Steve shrugs. "Couple days. I saw the kids crying the other day out by the trash. Asked 'em who was givin' 'em trouble."

"And so then, you figured you'd get 'em back? By yourself?"

Again, Steve shrugs. "Someone's gotta do it. They couldn't."

Bucky shakes his head. "You didn't do much."

"Did enough." Steve sets his jaw, like he's daring Bucky to tell him he's wrong. "They know someone's looking out for those kids. They'll knock it off."

Bucky looks Steve over, and he's impressed by this skinny little punk whose heart might just be too big for his body. "Yeah. They're terrified of ya now."

"Aw shut it, Buck."

Bucky grins and slings an arm around the small shoulders. "Oh no way. 'Cause now I gotta make sure they don't go after _you_." Steve grumbles and squirms, but he doesn't squirm away. "Where do you live, anyway?"

Steve tells him, and Bucky realizes they live just a couple blocks apart. So that'll make it easier to keep his eye on him, he guesses. At least until they get bored of each other.


End file.
